Walk This Way

Brasilia, ‘Man has [not] made up his mind’.

With news of German Architect Professor Klaus Humpert's recent demise, Studio NvS was reminded of his establishment of a madly specific but fundamental area of study, that of walking. As captured in his book, 'Trails, Tracks and Traces' (republished in English in 2020), he assembled global examples of paths worn by walking - a collective expression of individuals' 'desire lines'.

The book illustrates multiple motives for trail-blazing, beyond convenience – surveillance, seeking vistas, neural functioning, even following animal activity (refer le Corbusier's 'donkey tracks').  The paths graph compelling evidence that human compulsion and perception outweigh the deterministic vision of masterplans. Learning from both observed behaviour, via localised experiments, and the forensic study of physical signs, Humpert detected and described universal human actions that override cultural differences in both urban areas and rural landscapes.

Paths are classified into distinct types - forks, rosettes, branches, intersections and detours. The trails so-traced illuminate psychological rules for movement that often contradict the vectors of designed environments. Humpert's studies also prefigured the benefits of walking for improved fitness and proprioception, the impulse to exercise now known to build strength, even without the actual action.

‘Wellness’ and 'slow culture' have highlighted holidays as a time for unhurried activity. Tourism is defined by its appreciation of the sights and heightened awareness of place; rapid passage between destinations is rewarded with sensory immersion at walking pace. As designers, we can build a web of moments for our guests rather than driving them towards a goal. Each meander through a landscape should follow an unpredictable trajectory, with preferences documented and elaborated after a time. The micro-experiences of movement can also be celebrated - the way views alter as the body pitches and tilts, or how effort varies with flex and texture underfoot.

Humpert's walking work teaches us to look for clues in existing conditions, to recognise the embedded wisdom of accumulated actions. It also encourages us to revisit projects and hold design elements in escrow until the new place's true nature is revealed.